Railway-switch



(No Model.)

'H.C.LAUSEN.

RAILWAY SWITGH.

Patented Oct. 19, 1897.

/N VENTOR ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

I HANS CHRISTIAN LAUSEN, OF NEWMAN, CALIFORNIA.

'RAILWAY SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591 ,852, dated October 19, 1897.

Application filed July 15, 1897. Serial No. 64%603. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HANS CHRISTIAN LAU- SEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newmamin the county of Stanislaus and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the .invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby switches may at will be mechanically operated by a person on an approaching train and properly set for allowing that train to take the desired direction at the switching-point, whereby many and obvious advantages are gained.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view showing a main and a branch line of railway. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of devices alongside the rails at the switching-point. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section at 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of a car. Fig. 5 is a side view of the devices of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 5.

A and B represent the ordinary rails of the main and branch tracks, respectively, and C D the switch-rails of the two tracks, both being held at their adjacent ends by ordinary devices E, permitting them to swing through the necessary angle. The free end portions of these switch-rails are secured upon a transverse sliding bar F, pivotally connected at each end to the lower ends, respectively, of vertical levers G, themselves centrally piv oted at H to a tie I. To the upper end of each lever are pivoted flat bars J, which extend oppositely alongside, and in the horizontal plane of, the heads of the corresponding rails, but at a short distance therefrom. Near their opposite ends the bars are carried downward to the plane of the ties and loosely secured to one of the latter by bolts K, or the like, passing through longitudinal slots in the bars. In passing from the lever G each bar diverges from the rail, so that the space between the two is of elongated V shape. Evidently, the switch being open, forcing the proper bars J outward closes it, and vice versa, and that it may be held against accidental change the lower end of one lever G is constantly pressed'by a spring W, fixed to a tie and having bends W, offering a considerable resistance to swinging of the lever. Distinct or separably operable devices for pushing outward the two sets of bars J are carried upon an engine or car L.

As shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the car carries upon each side, just without the vertical planes of the two rails upon which the car runs, a vertical sliding rod P, bearing upon opposite sides at its lower end small antifriction-rollers Q, so placed that when in the horizontal plane of the rail and adjacent bar J and passing toward the central lever G, one

roller may press against each. Just above the rollers the rod is held in a sliding bearing supported by braces R R from the car, and the rollers are normally held above the plane of the rails by a spring S, supported by said braces and acting against a collar T upon the rod. Either rod is, however, forced down, to bring its rollers into the plane of the rails, by means of levers V V. proaching the switch from the right or left is to keep the main track, the rod P upon that side of the car opposite the branch track is depressed. If the switch was already properly set, no change is made, but if it was not so set the rollers Q, running into the long narrowing space, gently force the bars J outward, swing the levers G, and, through the bar F, move the switch-rails in the contrary direction,setting the switch properly. Should it be desired that a train approaching from the right pass to the branch track, the left rod P is depressed, and by analogous action the rails O D are swung toward the outer rail. The like result is secured by depressing the right-hand rod when a train approaches on the branch track.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a car, of the two vertically-sliding rods just without the planes of the Wheels, respectively, rollers mounted upon opposite sides of each rod in a line per- Now if a train ap-- pendicular to said planes, levers arranged to force said rods downward, independently,and springs resisting the action of the levers; whereby when either rodis depressed its outer roller may force outward a suitable switchoperating device while the inner roller restslightly therefrom, and at their other ends held against movement from the rails, substantially as set forth.

. 3. The combination with the main and branch tracks resting upon cross-ties and having fixed outer rails andintermediate rails with swinging segments, of a bar passing beneath both tracks and attached to said segments, vertical levers centrally pivoted to a tie and pivotally connected to the ends of said bar, respectively, the locking-spring resisting the movement of one lever from either limit of its path, and two bars upon each side of the track pivoted to the upper end of the cor responding lever, extending oppositely therefrom, diverging slightly from theadjacent rail, and secured at their outer ends against lateral movement, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HANS CHRISTIAN LAUSEN. Vitnesses:

JULIUS WAHLHAUS, E. S. WAUGENHEIM. 

